Behov av flexibilitet i COTS-system : Hur COTS-system möter användarnas behov i olika organisationer

This thesis examines if commercial-of-the-shelf (COTS) systems meet the needs in different types of organizations. This was investigated through a case study of a COTS system. The system is built for contact centers and used in different types of organizations. Contextual inquiries with users from six different organizations were held together with interviews with stakeholders of the system. This gave an understanding for how the system is used and the needs to be met in the different organizations were recognized. The results showed that the needs to be fulfilled by the COTS system vary between different types of organization. Three factors are especially important. The factors are: if the organization operates in a competitive market, the size of the organization, and for how long the organization has been using the COTS system. Even though the COTS system by definition cannot be completely customized to meet all user needs, some changes in the system solution can help the users use the system more efficiently, effectively and with a higher degree of satisfaction. These changes can be made through making different versions that fit organizations according to the first two factors; competition and size. The third factor concerns the question of how much the organization should adapt to the COTS system and vice versa. The study also implies that education is very important when delivering COTS systems